


Time's changed, people change

by FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: After 6.08, Carickyl friendship, Carol is mostly lighthearted, Caryl feels, Caryl if you squint, Daryl is shirtless, She's a precious cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN/pseuds/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after the events of 6.08.  Assumes that Alexandria has only just cleared the walkers and repaired the walls.  Daryl returns with Abe and Sasha, and Rick has to break the news to him about the altercation between Carol and Morgan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time's changed, people change

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's block sucks. Especially when the thoughts and stories and plot bunnies are swirling in my mind, yet I can't get my thoughts to paper (or keyboard.) I struggled with this one, but haven't been able to get a certain spoiler out of my head that Rick and Daryl exchange some heated words in 6B, and that Norman was seen on set shirtless during filming.  
> I took that and ran with it. This story assumes that Carol is okay, and recuperating at home. Rick tries to tell Daryl what happened, and turns into a bit of a defensive dick during the exchange. Daryl, exhausted and injured (to which Rick is oblivious), is understandably displeased to hear that Morgan attacked his dear friend and in no frame of mind to discuss it like a calm and rational adult. As always, he is putty in Carol's hand. She knows just what to say and has the magic touch. :)

Rick watched with a sigh of relief as Daryl, Abe, and Sasha trudged through the gates.  Exhausted, hungry, filthy, but alive.  Blessedly alive.  After the community made its rounds of welcome and appreciation for their safe return, Rick caught up with Daryl as he began his walk toward the house.  Visibly exhausted, but Rick knew better than to let this way.  

“Need to talk to you,” Rick winced.  “It’s about Carol.”

Daryl’s eyes darkened as he stood a little taller and squared his shoulders at the mention of Carol’s name.  “What about her?”

“While you were out there,” he gestured beyond the walls, “Things came to a head in here.  Between the walkers, and being attacked by people calling themselves the Wolves.”

Daryl took a half step back, not liking the direction the conversation was going.  “She alive?” he growled, defensive.

“Yes, sorry.  She’s alive, not bit or nothing, but she got hurt.”  He picked at the fray on the end of the gloves in hand.

“You gonna tell me more, or is this some sorta guessing game.”

Rick met Daryl’s eyes, unable to hide the subtle grimace.

“Morgan had captured a member of the Wolves, had ‘im in lockup.  Carol found out.  She tried to kill him, the Wolf.  And was going to kill Morgan in the process.  But Morgan stopped her.”

“How?” he bit out, hands fisting at his sides.

“Carol had gone at him with her knife, he disarmed her, threw her to the ground-”

“Threw her onto a concrete floor?”

Rick looked away, nodding his face falling into a deep frown.

“And he’s still walking freely about.”  

Rick closed his eyes and nodded again.

“Why is he still here then?”

“He saved my life.”

“Yeah, that was back at the beginning.  Time’s changed since then, people change.  You known us longer, better.  How many times does Carol have to save your life?  Your kid’s lives? Before it means something to you?  How is the man still walking?”  Daryl was positively bristling now, pacing tightly in front of Rick, pointing his finger at Rick to add emphasis to his words.

“What Carol has done for my family, our people, it means _everything_ ,” Rick responded, emphatically.

Daryl snorted, shaking his head in disgust backing a few steps away from Rick.

“He’s still here so I can keep an eye on ‘im, I don't think he's going to be an issue anymore,” Rick insisted.

Daryl huffed out an incredulous laugh, “He body slammed a woman, one of our own into a concrete floor. Excuse me if I call bullshit.”

Rick reached up and pinched bridge of nose, “I know. I know how bad this looks, but what are the alternatives, hm?  There's strength in numbers here-”

“He's a liability!” Daryl roared, no longer caring to keep calm or his voice quiet.

“We throw him out, he either gets killed or takes up with the enemy. He knows too much about this place already. He's more of a liability if we let him go.”

“It's shit, that's what this is,” Daryl growled as he turned and began walking away.

“Well what would you have me do, Daryl?” Rick raised his voice after him, clearly not done with the conversation.  Daryl spun on his heel, eyes blazing as he stomped back toward Rick.

“We ain't staying. Carol and I. If I'm the only one sticking up for her-”

“-you're not,” Rick interrupted.  “We haven't even had a chance to catch our breath, it's been nonstop-”

“All I hear are excuses.  Pathetic excuses.  She has been struggling since Atlanta, so kind of y'all to notice!” spittle shot from his mouth as he hissed the words.

“YOU have been-”

“Ain't talking bout me, I handle just fine!  Like I said, we're going.”  Rick watched as Daryl walked away from him.  Not at all liking being told what was going to happen before it could be discussed calmly, and rationally.  Before he could stop himself, he called after Daryl,

“You're the one that brought him back here.”

Daryl stopped in his tracks, shoulders heaving with his angered breaths, taking a moment before he spun back around.

“Unfuckingbelievable. That's low, especially for you Grimes.  Bringing him back was a mistake, wish I could a seen it then. Now I need to rectify my choices. What you gonna do about it, Officer?”

Rick stood unmoving, not responding, his lip nearly pulled up into a sneer.  Daryl nodded, his face twisted in anger.  Reaching down, he grabbed the hem of his shirt, and tore it off up over his head.  Turning his shoulder to bare his back to Rick, he explained.

“You see this? These marks are my father's work. Carol? She done had the same experience with a man that promised to love, honor, and cherish her. She's as shredded inside as this.  Despite it all, she's still stronger than whatever has tried to hurt her though. Morgan? He any better than my daddy? Or her husband? Hm?  Does she deserve to be in the same house as that… Fuck him.  Fuck you.  She deserves _better_. She deserves _respect_.”  Rick looked away, eyes drifting back over the houses of Alexandria, and the community that occupied them.

“You once said to Father G, something like ‘if what you’re hiding hurts my family in any way, I’ll kill you.’ Funny.  Guess the same don’t apply to everyone. Oh right, I forgot.  It ain’t a democracy anymore, right?  We back to that again?  Ain't nobody gonna ever disrespect Carol now if I got anything to say about it.  Yourself included.”  

Rick watched forlornly as Daryl walked away.  Watching as the muscles rippled beneath is torn and scarred skin.  Hard to tell which scars were from ‘before’ and which came after.  Each one having it’s own meaning.  The larger ones being from Daryl’s own family, that didn’t protect him when he was just a child.  The others coming as a direct result of him having done everything in his power to protect his new family, of survivors, not his own blood but rather family that he himself chose.  Family that he cherished, and loved, and protected with everything he had.  His body bore the truth, and paid the price.  And was still paying the price, as he could see from the fresh scrapes on his arms, and the tear of his jeans which revealed a free flowing cut to his outer thigh.

Rick growled to himself in frustration, just as everything had started to come together for their group, his own family was now getting torn apart.  

 

* * *

 

Rick quietly shut the door behind him, making his way up the stairs.  He could hear Daryl moving about in his room, the thump of his angry steps and the swish of his clothes and belongings being shoved into a bag.  Rick raised his hand to knock on his door, but thought better of it.  Let Daryl come down from his anger before trying to talk again.  Instead he turned down the hall to Judith’s room.  Standing in the doorway, he smiled at the sight of Carol in the rocking chair, holding Judith in her arms cuddled to her chest.  The pair fast asleep.  Carol’s knife within arm’s reach, and her pistol next to it.  Rick frowned at the sight.  While weapons were standard part of attire these days, the sight of them so close to Carol while she held his sleeping daughter was unsettling.  Wrong.  The world no longer an innocent place, even for children.

“What’s on your mind?” Carol’s whispered words startled him.

He pursed his lips and shook his head, “How you feeling?”

“Fine, as long as I don’t move.”

Rick took a few steps into the room, pushing the door nearly closed behind him.  He pulled up the foot stool and sat low next to Carol.  “I’m sorry…” he pinched the bridge of his nose, before looking back up into her gentle blue eyes.  “I’m sorry for what Morgan did to you. It… It wasn’t right.  I made a mistake.  We’ve all made mistakes, but...” he shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

“Who’s to say what I did was any better?” she smirked, “I let my emotions get the better of me.”  She paused, wincing slightly as she brought a free hand down to squeeze Rick’s shoulder.  “We’ve all been on edge for so long…”

“Daryl’s back, he-”

“You tell him?”

Rick nodded.

“That explains why I heard him come up the stairs, what is he doing?”

“He’s packing.  Says he’s leaving and taking you with him.”

Carol chuckled quietly and shook her head, leaning it back against the rocking chair closing her eyes.  “Hm, he’s upset.  I’ll talk to him.”

“He was… adamant.”

“I’m sure.  Dixon men usually are.  Not the type to be trifled with.  He carries his heart on his sleeve,” she explained.  “He blames himself. For my Sophia.  For Merle.  For the Governor.  Hershel, Beth…” her voice trailed off, eyes wet at the memory of so many loved ones.  “And here he brought Morgan back with him, and look what happened?  It’s not just you he’s angry with, it’s himself.”

“It’s not his fault.  Though I may have insinuated-”

“Rick, what did you do?”  Rick sighed and Carol’s firm words.  He rubbed his hands over his face, and scratched at the hair at his chin.

“We had words.  Angry ones.  He was a bit justified, myself not so much.  I owe him an apology.  But more importantly, I owe you one.  I owe you many.”

“We both did what we felt we needed to do at the time,” keeping her words all encompassing and vague.

“Don’t make it right.”

“No, but mistakes have been known to happen,”  she smiled, reaching up with her finger to tap the underside of Rick’s chin.  

“How are you so….”

“Zen?  I’m holding a sleeping baby, Rick.  Holding something so precious, it’s the best kind of therapy.”  She looked down at the sleeping cherub, pushing and errant curl from Judith’s face, and smiling fondly.  “But there’s something you can do for me…”

“Anything,” Rick insisted.

“Go open the door, Daryl is loitering in the hallway.  I need to see him. Please.”  Rick nodded as he stood up, leaning down to kiss Carol on the head before once again whispering how sorry he was in her ear.  She squeezed his hand one last time before he finally pulled away.

Rick opened the door to a bare chested Daryl leaning against the wall across the hallway, “I’m sorry, Daryl.  I need to fix this, but I don't know how.  Can we talk later?  After you get settled?”

Daryl only nodded, and avoided his eyes, walking silently into Judith’s nursery and closing the door tight behind him.

“Oh my,” Carol gasped, and turned her face away chuckling.  “I’m not quite up to pulling out the hose, but if you need help-”

Daryl snorted softly, as he took a seat on the foot stool.  He pulled up his knees and rested his arms across them.  Carol reached down taking one of Daryl’s hands in her own.  “I’m fine.  Whatever Rick told you, I’m fine.”

“No, you ain’t. How can you say that after what he’s done?”

“Who?  Rick or Morgan?”

Daryl rubbed his thumb over Carol’s knuckles, then leaned his forehead down to rest on her hand.

“It’s my fault.  I never should have brought him back here,” he whispered.

“Daryl, you had no way of knowing-”

“I don’t trust him.  I don’t want you around him.  I can’t-”

“Look at me,” Carol insisted, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone as he raised his head to look at her.  He leaned into her touch and sighed softly.  “I’ll be okay.”

“Come with me?  Please?  I checked with Maggie, said we could take the house around the corner.  It’s empty. You can walk across the back yard to wrangle Asskicker on your baby duty days, shit I’ll make Rick bring her to you.  Ain’t right what Morgan did.”

“We move on, we move forward.”

“Ain’t right,” he insisted, again.

“We were both at fault.”

“That don’t make it okay,” his voice dropping, insistent.  He jumped to his feet.

“Never said it was.”

“Then why you defending him?”  He leaned back against the dresser, crossing his arms.

“It’s not a defense.  It’s an understanding.  He’s damaged too.  Come back over here and sit down so I don’t have to talk over Judith.”  Daryl sighed heavily and resumed his seat near her.

After a long pause, she pushed the hair from his face.  “It’s not your fault.  None of it.  I have never blamed you.  We’ve survived worse.  We’ll make this place work.  I know it.  We need to be here.  I need to be here.”

“Want me to pack your stuff?”

“You’re nothing if not relentless….” she shook her head.  “I’m not moving from this spot until she wakes up.  You go shower, I’ll help you tend to those wounds after you’ve cleaned up.”

“And after that?”

She smirked, “I’ll go with you.  Haven’t been alone with my thoughts in quite some time.  I’m due.  Overdue.”

“Thank you…”  He gave her a small grateful smile before pulling himself back up again and walking to the door.

“You can strip here, and I’ll see about stitching those pants back up for you.”

Daryl deadpanned as he reached the door, “Stop.”

“What?” she gave him her most innocent smile, the best kind of smile she could muster that included that mischievous twinkle that he had so missed.  Before he took his leave, she added.  “We’ll be okay, Daryl.  Really.  We’ll be okay.”

He bobbed his head in agreement after a beat, and disappeared behind the closing door.


End file.
